Folding boxes made from cardboard or similar semi-rigid thin material, for example plastic, are well known.
Before use, they are offered to the trader, who will use them, in a flat form of small volume, by virtue of the folding-down of the material from which they are made.
However, these boxes, which are in widespread use, for example by confectioners, have no shape stability when they are unfolded and their inelegant appearance is unsuitable for up-market businesses: perfumes, cosmetics, fashion jewellery, etc. In these businesses where aesthetic appearance plays an important role, use has to be made of non-folding boxes known as "boutique boxes", of rectangular parallepipedal shape, having a sufficient volume to contain various articles or products and which lend themselves to various types of decoration. However, these boxes have the drawback that, during storage, they take up a considerable volume. For example, for a customary height of approximately 8 cm, 30 stacked empty boxes will occupy a height of 2.40 m, so that a large stock takes up a great deal of space in a shop where space is limited.